I'm part farmer.
Fresh peaches this week!
Corn on the cob is 60 cents each right now. Better when they are 10 for a dollar.
One of my favorite snacks is raw broccoli stems. Nice pepper flavor in there.
My best tomato plant produced 75 pounds.
I once grew 144 broccolis and turned them into quiches.
I used to have 4 orange trees and a pink grapefruit. I can't understand why they all died after only 40 years.
When I was 4 feet tall, I never went home for lunch because I knew where to find grapes, cherries, apples, mulberries, wild onions, strawberries, and probably a few I forgot for the moment.

Well, there are many things you can do on the grill with the things you've just mentioned, such as this:

http://www.foxnews.com/recipe/grilled-cayenne-peaches

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Also, making a quiche in a grill sounds like a delicious idea too!

 

There you go ... I knew I had them somewhere ... took me a while, but I finally found the coffin-baked (that's what we call the technique) baby goat pictures

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They're rather simple to make. Just start the fire, and as soon as the "coffin" (more on that later) is hot enough, place both baby goats inside, and season them generously with butter, and salt and pepper. After about 30 minutes, open the "coffin" and put a few fired-up logs of whatever hardwood you're using (we normally use mesquite) to heat the coffin on the perimeter (never directly under the baby goats) and add a few fresh whole sprigs of rosemary on the inside grill. The close the "coffin" and the log's fire will die out after a few seconds, releasing its flavorful smoke while impregnating the meat. After that, the rosemary will dehydrate and release its resin in vapor form, also giving a rich flavor to the baby goats.

Yeah, I know that for other cultures this looks like a picture right out of a horror story (including the couple of skulls on the far right and left) ... but it's all part of being omnivorous.

 

Yeah, I know that for other cultures this looks like a picture right out of a horror story ...

Bingo. It reminds me of the Viking blood eagle. I'd post a photo but it's just too much.

 

Maybe even cook corn on the cob from the inside out. Great idea. It's a lot of water to heat and I find it tricky on the barbe.
Edit:
Maybe @cmartinez has a foolproof barbecue trick.

Actually I do! ... the trick is to not cut off the tip of the cob, nor peel any of its covering leaves when you put it atop low live fire (and not just embers) on the grill. That is, the cob has to be as if it's just been cut off the plant, like this:

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The outside leaves will of course burn immediately, but the inside layer will protect the corn, keeping it moist while it's being cooked.

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Telling when the cob is done is the easiest of things. Just grab it with your hands (using a couple of oven gloves, of course... unless you're a real manly masochistic macho ) and then twist it with both hands ... if the thing twists easily, and feels rubbery, then it's done and ready to peel and eat!

This process will take longer than just laying the peeled corn directly atop the grill, but it will make it taste far better, moister and tenderer than the brute force approach.

 

I grill corn the same way and soak the ears overnight in water. This year was a big deal for me and corn on the cob. Over the last 15 years or so my upper teeth had deteriorated o where they were gone. I haven't enjoyed corn on the cob, ribs or many of my favorite foods in years. I fona;lly broke down and got a full set of upper implants. I forgot what I was missing! Think I enjoyed more corn on the cob grilled and ribs this year than I ever remember. Teeth are a wonderful thing.

Ron

 

Teeth are a wonderful thing.

They are indeed! ... problem is, fix one thing, and another one tends to break... now you need to watch your weight!

 

They are indeed! ... problem is, fix one thing, and another one tends to break... now you need to watch your weight!

Ain't that the truth. My daughter in law is a dental hygienist and she told me the implants were the best way to go. I kept putting teeth off because of cost but my wife convinced me I should do it and tell you what, best money I ever spent. Years of missing the food I like and years of infection. Now I am enjoying the foods I always loved, including corn on the cob roasted on a grill and this year the local sweet corn was great.

Ron

 

Now I am enjoying the foods I always loved

And that's what life is all about, my friend.

 

And that's what life is all about, my friend.

We have to eat so whenever possible we may as well enjoy it. Live to eat or eat to live.

Ron

 

My question, could some of you post the recipes for more Chicken and fish. If you have a good one, please share because I'm the chef in my house and taking care of my wife with MS. It's just me and her now, kids all off married.

I know this post is old - but I smoked a chicken in my komodo last night. It was excellent and super easy.

1. Thaw chicken if frozen
2. Rinse chicken and remove giblets
3. Pat dry and let sit for a while
4. Pat dry again
5. Leave skin on and cover chicken with mustard and this rub: https://www.amazon.com/Jack-Stack-M...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BZQTZ263GT9D8Y08HG46
6. Prep smoker for 350deg smoke. Should take about 30 minutes to come to temp. I use pecan and mesquite disbursed in lump charcoal. I also use a pizza pan diffuser in a kamodo style smoker so it's not seeing direct heat.
7. Smoke with the breast side down until the breast hits 165. Smoking the breast side down allows the skin below to be saturated in grease so the skin's not that good and comes off easily after cooking but holds the juices in the white meat (and my wife enjoys white meat without skin). This also allows the skin on top of the chicken to become more crunchy (which I like on dark meat). I set my temp alarm to alert me if the grill gets outside of 385 and 325 so I can make adjustments to the dampers.
8. Let meat rest for 20-30 minutes.
9. Serve with your favorite hoppy beer.

It took me about 2 hours to cook a medium sized chicken (5lbs?). It came out super juicy and had a little heat because I tend to put on a lot of rub. Just the way I like it. Sorry I don't have pictures this time.

Also - for anyone that cares - I'd also highly recommend a komodo style smoker... very easy to use. I have this one https://www.chargriller.com/kamado-grills. Pair it with a good remote thermometer that does both grill temp and meat temp and you're really in business. You can watch the game and not worry so much about dinner. I literally just got this thing around father's day for a housewarming gift. After being a gas guy all of my life, I will probably never go back. I really enjoy taking a lazy day and making a wonderful meal with too much beer and spending time with the family in the backyard. The only thing I still prefer on gas still is steak. Ribs are better, pork butts are actually doable, burgers are better, brats are better, corn is better... I've yet to do a brisket, but I know this smoker will KILL it. I plan to do thanksgiving turkey on it this week with this recipe.

On a personal note, KV, I'm sorry about your wife's diagnosis. MS is no joke and I feel for you and your family. Part of the reason I love cooking like this is because it brings everyone to the table to eat food that is much better than what is cooked in any restaurant. There are always good laughs and happy memories when we cook and eat well. I wish that same laughter and happiness for you and yours, as well.

I'll leave you with a photos of a particularly good pulled pork meal!

 

Lay night I cooked another chicken using the recipe in the last post, but this time I remembered to take a picture. Infeakin'credibly good.

 

Good rub is indeed a gift from the gods. That chicken is looking mighty fine.

Ron

 

I was visiting my daughter in San Antonio last week and we took a day trip up to Austin. There's a fun food show called "Day of Gluttony" that goes to a city and (allegedly) visits 24 restaurants in 24 hours. They do a pretty good job of picking spots in interesting or trendy locations. Not the fancy places, but the places locals go. Their Austin episode included a few BBQ places that looked awesome and I was on a mission to find some brisket.

This is the cooker they use at Freedmen's. It looks like an old propane storage tank, customized for smoking.




The brisket they serve here at Freedmen's is the best I've ever had, by far. I can't imagine any way to improve it. Up north, brisket resembles shoe leather. I've talked to BBQ experts up here and the dry leather we eat up here is mostly about the cut of meat they start with. The BBQ joints don't buy the whole brisket, only the leaner portion. In Texas they cook the entire brisket and you can order the degree of "wetness" (fat) you like, and they recommend the fattiest. Me too.

 

Ok, so this is not so much about grilling, but cooking. I was making some chicken and pork chili.

Used dried ghost peppers for the first time. Ouch.

First, I chopped them up in a food processor. When I opened the lid. I almost died from coughing, as the dust was deeply inhaled into my lungs.

Then, later I downed a half gallon of milk after tasting the chili.

But the worst was when I accidentally got some sauce in my eye! Painful!

My tongue, throat and eye are still burning. Damn, be careful with that stuff!

 

On a personal note, KV, I'm sorry about your wife's diagnosis. MS is no joke and I feel for you and your family. Part of the reason I love cooking like this is because it brings everyone to the table to eat food that is much better than what is cooked in any restaurant. There are always good laughs and happy memories when we cook and eat well. I wish that same laughter and happiness for you and yours, as well.

Thanks man, very good gift.

Merry Christmas

kv

 

Reading wayneh's comments about brisket got me to remembering what I called "The Day of the Brisket" at work. I made brisket for 25 people I worked with. Every now and then myself and another engineer would provide lunch for the entire department. I worked in an area klnown as "The Out Buildings" which was a sort of skunk works for those familiar with the term. Anyway, the brisket was such a hit many requested the recipe so I created the following document and made it available. The rub and sauce are both good with other dishes.

Day of the Brisket

On Monday January 24, 2011 I finally came through with a long awaited promise to provide a beef brisket lunch for my friends at Assembly and Test Department. While I of course appreciated the thank you from everyone my real satisfaction came from watching everyone return for seconds, thirds and maybe a few fourth servings. That was the ultimate reward for my efforts. You are all more than welcome.

Many have asked for my recipe. Please keep in mind that a recipe, any recipe, is nothing more than a baseline and made to be tinkered with to suit taste. Feel free to tinker. Here is what I prepared.

The Brisket:

The brisket cut I used was called “A Flat” there is also a “Point” but you want the flat. When possible I suggest asking a butcher in a meat department of your local supermarket, however, very good cuts can also be found on the shelves of the meat department. If you deal with a butcher ask him to remove the fat. A full brisket consist of the flat and point joined with a thick line of fat. If you buy a vacuum packed pre packaged brisket try to look hard at the fat side you will need to trim. A 5 to 6 pound brisket will generally yield a pound of fat so unless you plan to feed friends and family fat plan wisely. If the meat has this layer of fat carefully using a sharp knife trim away the fat. A 5 pound trimmed brisket should yield about 8 servings (less for those who savor brisket). I prefer Certified Black Angus or as a minimum a good USDA Choice brisket.

Ingredients (The Rub):

• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon granulated onion
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

Reserve the following on the side.

• Several minced fresh garlic cloves (about 6 tablespoons)
• Olive Oil (Extra Virgin about ½ cup)

Combine the dry ingredients and mix well in a bowl. Personally I like to kick the cumin up to a few tablespoons but feel free to modify to your taste. Mix the minced garlic and olive oil in a small bowl.

Brisket Prep:

By hand rub the olive oil and garlic mixture into the meat on both sides. Rub means just that, Use the palm of your hand(s) to press the mixture into the meat. Don’t be bashful; work the mixture well into both sides of the beef brisket. Now sprinkle the dry rub mixture on both sides of the meat being generous, use it all. Wrap the brisket in plastic wrap like Saran Wrap (or whatever) and place it in a roasting pan overnight in the refrigerator. I like a good 8 to 10 hours.

The Cooking Process:

I start the cooking process using a Weber Kettle Grill. We are not going to cook the brisket at a high temperature. If you have a kettle grill or smoker grill you want to set up for indirect heat. Move your coals to one side and place the meat on the other side on the grill surface. I used soaked apple wood from a tree we cut down years ago. I like Apple but Mesquite wood sold in many grilling stores also works fine. Wood like apple lends a sweeter taste. Soak your wood! You want smoke and not flames. Place your brisket on the grill (less the plastic wrap) and try to maintain a grill temperature below 250 degrees F. I like to give the meat an hour per side. Check the meat frequently; we don’t want to burn it. The trick to great tender brisket is slow cooking with good smoke initially. We don’t want to dry the meat out! Low temperature and slow cooking is the key. Before I forget, if you are one of those people who love to place foil on a grill surface… DON’T! The smoke should flow freely around the meat.

After about an hour per side remove the meat and place back in the roasting pan it marinated in. Add about a cup of water of if you have any beef stock use that over using water. Cover with aluminum foil and set oven for 220 Degrees F. The meat should now slow cook about another 6 to 8 hours. Good things come to those who wait! Check the meat every few hours with a fork for tenderness. We don’t want it to dry out, it will become a nice tender and a fork will go right through it. Don’t poke too hard with the fork or the fork will pass through the brisket and the disposable roasting pan. The pan will begin to leak and you will get a sinking feeling. Been there and done that. J

All of this is a pretty forgiving process. We just don’t want to overcook and dry out the beef. Different briskets have different thickness so cooking times will vary. Different grills and smokers vary. Just don’t dry out the brisket! Enjoy, have a few drinks and let’s make the sauce. The sauce is a big part of the magic.

Barbecue Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, lemon juice, orange juice, mustard, Worcestershire and hot sauce, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and the flavors marry, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before serving.

This is a sauce I really like. I could put this stuff on breakfast and like it. Use it anywhere you want a really good barbecue sauce. I always double the recipe! The lunch we had was 8X the recipe. Use fresh garlic! Don’t cheat. Again, season to taste, if you like heat be generous with the red pepper sauce or add some crushed cayenne pepper.

While I prefer the suggest rub recipe here is another I have tried.

· 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

· 2 tablespoons kosher salt

· 4 tablespoons paprika

· 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder

· 1 tablespoon granulated onion powder

· 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

· 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

· 2 teaspoons ground cumin

Enjoy

Ron

The sauce is one I really like and make often for other dishes. The secret if there is a secret to good brisket, pulled beef or pulled pork is slow cooking, good smoking and a bunch of love. Recently found a new source of beef and pork (other meats also) where the beef you buy today was on the hoof yesterday. I like the signs which tell customers if you do not plan to prepare the meat in 48 hours please freeze it immediately. No preservatives which is sweet. The store is a hour ride out to farm country but when we do a run we fill our freezer. They custom cut your order. I like NY Strip and they cut 2" thick to my request.

Regardless of anyone's choice for holiday meals I wish you all a most happy and joyous holiday season. Eat well and be safe. Christmas Eve I look forward to The Seven Fishes, Feast of the Seven Fishes. The Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italian: Festa dei sette pesci), also known as The Vigil (Italian: La Vigilia), is an Italian-American celebration of Christmas Eve with meals of fish and other seafood. Kathy and I already have the smoked salmon to contribute. My brother generally comes up with some excellent courses. We will spend the holiday with my siblings, the kids and the grand kids. Have a cool yule and enjoy some good food.

Ron

 

A parrillada that we made in Brownsville this last weekend.

It includes pork loin, seasoned fajitas, rib-eye ribs, and bacon-wrapped asparagus.

 

A parrillada that we made in Brownsville this last weekend.

It includes pork loin, seasoned fajitas, rib-eye ribs, and bacon-wrapped asparagus.

View attachment 119275

Oh man... Now I'm hungry! Looks delicious.

 

A parrillada that we made in Brownsville this last weekend.

We have a decent Mexican restaurant in town that serves a parrillada on a Christmas tree-shaped rack over a sterno fire. It's one of our favorites and we lovingly call it the tower of meat. Mmmm...

 

A parrillada that we made in Brownsville this last weekend.

It includes pork loin, seasoned fajitas, rib-eye ribs, and bacon-wrapped asparagus.

View attachment 119275

Is Brownsville your street?

https://www.google.com/maps/place/B...b33d73d40bca7!8m2!3d25.7752332!4d-100.2901132

How in the heck did something get named with a gringo name in Mexico?